Friday, October 26, 2012

It's officially fall now, and in addition to the nice cooler temperatures, majestic golden foliage and gusty, autumnal splendor all around us, it's also time for a new season of "AETN Presents," showcasing some of the state's finest entertainers.

The debut of "AETN Presents: On the Front Row" features the folk- and jazz-informed multi-instrumental sextet Don't Stop Please. Their performance airs Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m. and again Nov. 4 at 1 a.m.

Blazin' bluegrass combo Runaway Planet is up next, on Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m. and again Nov. 11 at 1 a.m.

On Nov. 16, you can see highlights from the live recording of Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour, recorded earlier in the year at the University of Central Arkansas's Reynolds Performance Hall. The nationally syndicated folk show featured performances from Blue Rain, fiddling champ Tim Crouch and blues prodigy Nathan A. The show airs again Nov. 18 at 1 a.m.

You can catch a performance from Heber Springs natives Grand Serenade on Nov. 23 at 6:30 p.m. and again on Dec. 16 at 1 a.m.

The new season wraps up with a chat with travel writer and TV host extraordinaire Rick Steves, on "AETN Presents: On the Same Page with Rick Steves," Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m. Steves was at UCA earlier this year, and in this episode, he'll talk about his recent book "Mediterranean Cruise Ports."

The full press release is available after the jump.

New season of “AETN Presents” kicks off Nov. 2Series airs as part of AETN Arts Fridays at 6:30 p.m.CONWAY, Ark. (AETN) — The Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) delivers a new season of “AETN Presents” beginning Friday, Nov. 2, at 6:30 p.m.“AETN Presents: On the Front Row” debuts Friday, Nov. 2, at 6:30 p.m. and continues through Nov. 23. Artists include:• Don’t Stop Please, Nov. 2; repeats Sunday, Nov. 4, at 1 a.m. following “Austin City Limits.” Members of Don't Stop Please include Nick Caffrey, William Krzeszinski, Anna Horton, Joel Ludford, Robert Gaiser and Will King, all multi-instrumentalists. Their music is a combination of jazz, rock, funk, folk and bluegrass featuring guitar, bass, upright bass, banjo, cello, saxophone, drums, trumpet, trombone, harmonica, a washboard and other instruments.• Runaway Planet, Nov. 9; repeats Sunday, Nov. 11, at 1 a.m. following “Austin City Limits.” Founded in 2001, Runaway Planet evolved out of a longtime friendship between members and a mutual love for traditional string-band music. The members — guitarist Greg Alexander, mandolin player Ben Ellis, banjoist Steve Brauer, and bassist Michael Proveaux — share the weight of songwriting, arrangement and production. Their music is a mix of hard-driving bluegrass, three-part harmonies, complex arrangements and original songs. Drawing from traditional influences like Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs and the Stanley Brothers, they are also inspired by more progressive bluegrass bands like The Country Gentlemen, The Seldom Scene and New Grass Revival.• Woodsongs, Nov. 16; repeats Sunday, Nov. 18, at 1 a.m. following “Austin City Limits.” This episode features highlights from the “Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour” performance recorded in early 2012 at Reynolds Performance Hall on the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway. Musicians featured draw from an eclectic mix of top Arkansas talent within the country/bluegrass/roots music community, including recent bluegrass standout Blue Rain, champion fiddler Tim Crouch and young bluesman and harmonica phenom Nathan A. • Grand Serenade, Nov. 23; repeats Sunday, Dec. 16, at 1 a.m. following “Austin City Limits.” Heber Springs band Grand Serenade members include former high school classmates rhythm guitarist Kyle Mays, lead guitarist Jordan Trotter, bassist Trevor Ware and drummer Justin Seymour. Their music is a British-influenced brand of indie rock, inspired by the work of Nada Surf, David Bowie and The Smiths. Known for meticulously crafting their work over long periods of time, Grand Serenade released one full-length album, "Lean Times," in 2007 and returned with an EP, "Lake Country," in 2010.The new season concludes with “AETN Presents: On the Same Page With Rick Steves” Friday, Nov. 30, at 6:30 p.m. Travel author and multimedia personality Rick Steves discusses his career with interviewer Lisa Fischer. They primarily focus on his recent book “Mediterranean Cruise Ports” and the experiences surrounding its creation. Steves' presence is known across many mediums — he is the host of the PBS television series “Rick Steves' Europe,” as well as public radio talk show “Travel with Rick Steves,” podcast creator, blogger, tour guide and author of numerous travel guides.“AETN Presents” features a variety of arts and cultural subjects. Previously included in the series have been the Arkansas Acoustic Festival; performances by the Cate Brothers, Wayland Holyfield and friends, Trout Fishing in America, Dale Hawkins, Shannon Boshears Band, The Salty Dogs and Epiphany; and “On the Same Page” with authors Buzz Bissinger, Billy Collins, John T. Edge and Kenneth L. Smith.AETN Arts Fridays provides Arkansans with world-class arts and culture programming, including the locally produced series “AETN Presents” at 6:30 p.m. and the PBS arts at 9 p.m. More information about “AETN Presents” and episode clips are available at aetn.org/aetnpresents.The Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) is Arkansas’s statewide public television network that enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. For more information, visit aetn.org, or follow the AETN blog at aetn.org/engage. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), and KETZ (El Dorado).

Allen Weatherly, executive director of the Arkansas Educational Television Network, died this morning. He'd headed AETN since 2001. /more/

Democrat Conner Eldridge finally got his one debate with Republican U.S. Senator John Boozman today on AETN (along with Libertarian Frank Gilbert) and it was mostly an hour of well-worn talking points. /more/

If you’ll recall a moment (and there are many) when a Disney princess is dancing through the air and just when her foot is about to make contact with ground that isn’t there, a “step” (or lilypad, or cloud, or what have you) appears beneath her feet, then you know what it looks like when Dolly Parton floats around the stage at Verizon Arena — or any large arena, for that matter. /more/

The 10th annual Young Filmmakers Showcase tonight at 5:30 p.m. at the Ron Robinson Theater will feature nine films by students from Springdale, Malvern, Bentonville, Fayetteville, Little Rock, Bryant, Dardanelle and Hot Springs. The event is sponsored by AETN; the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival; the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and the , the Arkansas Humanities Council, which will award Arkansas Historic Places Student Film Prizes; and the Thea Foundation. /more/

Like the girl in his ode to a short-lived summer love, country music’s reigning Entertainer of the Year had a crowd of 13,312 Friday evening at Verizon Arena twisting all night long like that old beach “Roller Coaster": Twisting and swaying and dancing and singing along. /more/

"The Deck" is a new web series created by Lenny Bryan and hosted by Kara Bibb and Jeff Matika, dedicated to highlighting local songwriters and their creative process. /more/

An email from the folks at Wakarusa, the annual music festival at Mulberry Mountain, claims they'll be taking 2016 off due to financial problems. The letter makes reference to pending legal actions against "partners" who "lied" to festival management. So far, they're calling it a "hiatus" rather than a complete shut-down, so there's some good news. /more/

Searcy native Bonnie Montgomery has been nominated for Outlaw Female in the 2016 Ameripolitan Awards, an Austin, Texas-based award show that honors musicians whose work doesn’t match with today’s notions of country music. The awards ceremony will be held in Austin on Feb. 16, 2016. /more/

More by Robert Bell

Little Rock’s leading harbingers of doom return with a new album, “Foundations of Burden.”

You've got to figure that a band from frozen-ass Winnipeg is just gonna be way gnarlier and tougher than a band from some sun-kissed tropical clime where people wear tank tops and flip-flops year-round.

Also, KEN Mode at Vinos', Red Octopus' 'Trysts and Turns' at the Public Theatre, Mothwind at Maxine's, Patty Griffin at George's Majestic, "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" at the Weekend Theater and Ash at Juanita's.

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